Mastering Zoom: Part One: Joining a Meeting

Probably you heard about videoconferencing long before the COVID-19 pandemic, but chances are you never really had a good reason to discover more about it, unless it was required for your job, or your family wanted to use it. Then most of us spent more than a year at home, and all of a sudden, videoconferencing became a way to connect with the world, and Zoom became the most popular way to do it.

Zoom in its basic form is free and it allows us to not just interact with our families but to continue learning more about topics we find interesting, like genealogy! Many of us now are using it on a regular basis but there may be parts of the software that we still haven’t conquered. During a series of posts, we will try to help you make your Zoom experiences more useful. We’ll start this week with some of the basics about Zoom meetings (sometimes also called videoconferences) that are helpful to know as you get started.

Accessing Zoom

If you still haven’t plunged into the realm of Zoom, the first thing you need to do is to download the free Zoom application. Go to the Zoom website  and follow the directions there to sign up for an account and download the appropriate app. 

Although the site asks for a work email, your personal one will work just fine, if you prefer to use that. You need to download the app on each device you expect to use for Zoom calls. So, if you expect to use your laptop and your tablet, you will need the Zoom app (software) on each one. Also, Zoom does have frequent updates, so you will need to be sure you keep your app current. (More on how to do that in a future post.)

Zoom Meetings

Zoom videoconferencing is done in one of two ways, either as a meeting or as a webinar. They are similar but they do have some important differences. This week we will concentrate on meetings, which are meant for collaboration. In a meeting, everyone can talk, share their video and/or their screens, and see everyone who is attending. Meetings look like the old "Hollywood Squares" television quiz show with participants showing up in a multitude of squares on the screen. 

Casual family visits or chatting with friends or colleagues can be done in Zoom meetings. Here, you will be able to see and hear each other and each of you will have control over whether you are visible or not. Meetings are meant to be open and to encourage people to have direct communication with each other.

Once you have the Zoom software installed, and if you have chosen to create an account, you can initiate a meeting, or you can be invited by a host to attend a meeting he or she has set up. Zoom generates an email that is sent to each person who is invited. The email goes to the inbox of each invitee and should not be shared as they are unique to the recipient.

The easiest way to join a meeting to which you have been invited is to open your email invitation and click on the link that says, “Click Here to Join.” (The example below is for a webinar, but the invitation looks the same.)

Many times meetings are passcode-protected, and you will find the passcode on your invitation. (See the second arrow above.) Also, in your invitation, if there is a handout for your meeting, as there often is for StLGS webinars, there may be a link to that as well. (See the third arrow above.)

When you click on the link to join, a window opens asking you to "Launch Meeting." Depending on your browser settings, you may also see a message asking you if you want to allow your computer to open the Zoom link. If you have downloaded the Zoom app, go ahead and click on “Allow.” Now you will need to wait for a minute while your computer launches the Zoom software and connects to the meeting.

In the few minutes you might have before a meeting starts, you may be placed into a “waiting room,” and you might see a message that says you have to wait until the host lets you in. You will see a note in the box that asks if you want to test your computer audio. Do this if you are unsure of volume or whether your speakers are on. If you are going to actively participate in a meeting, Zoom will use the audio and video capabilities of your computer or mobile device. You will need to be sure you have a working microphone, speakers, and a camera attached, if you want to share video. Most new laptops, some new computers, and all smart phones have these built in. You can also use a headset in place of speakers or a headset with built-in microphone.

If, for some reason, your computer audio is not working, the Zoom invitation may have a phone number you can use to dial into the audio portion of the meeting. You can still use your computer for video and screen sharing.

Make adjustments to your audio and video settings by using the tiny arrows (^) to access the pop-up menus associated with each function (audio or video) at the bottom left of the Zoom toolbar. (See below.)

Zoom meetings do not have to be limited to people sitting at their computers. Meetings can be hybrid, meaning a meeting can be held physically in a room and still be "broadcast" as a Zoom meeting to allow remote users to participate. StLGS hopes to begin implementing hybrid webinars soon and we'll talk more about them next week. 

If you are in a meeting, usually you can just speak up. But, if it’s a large meeting, you may need to follow the rules specified by the host, such as clicking on the hand icon to raise your hand or ask your questions, or make comments using the Chat option in the toolbar at the bottom of your screen. You can use the Chat feature to send a message to one person (private chat) or to the group, depending on how the meeting host has set up the meeting.

Zoom Meeting Etiquette

1. If a meeting is private, be sure to keep it that way without sharing the link.
2. Be sure to mute yourself if you aren’t speaking.
3. If you plan to speak during the meeting, be sure to silence your phone so it’s not ringing and dinging.
4. Make sure your camera is positioned properly so you are centered and there aren’t distractions behind you.
5. Turn your video off if you are not paying attention to what’s going on. Remember that others will be seeing you chewing, talking on the phone, etc.
6. While your video is on, pay attention to your background, too. Others will see people walking behind you, lights going on and off, visiting pets and children, etc.

Next week: Webinars. Stay tuned! 

Some Online Resources

“Joining a Meeting,” Zoom Help Center, https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/201362193-Joining-a-meeting

YouTube.com: search for Zoom tutorial videos; there are dozens of them!

“Zoom Participant Guide,” Ohio History Connection, Center for Interactive Learning and Colloboration, https://www.cilc.org/CILC/media/Documents/Zoom_Participant_Guide.pdf